"Lights" (Advent Midweek 2)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. … The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:5, 9).

 

We prepare for Christmas with decorations, such as candles and electric lights. Tonight, we are continuing our series on how common decorations used for Advent and Christmas also prepare us for the coming of Christ. Tonight, during this second midweek in Advent, we will focus on how lights help us prepare for the coming of Christ.

 

As you make your way around this Advent season, you likely see sparkling lights everywhere. Some strings of lights cover the spectrum of colors; others are clear white. Many of us decorate our homes with lights not just on the inside, but on the outside. Some neighborhoods hold competitions for the best exterior light display. Communities string lights on their streets and poles. Businesses decorate buildings with dazzling displays of lights. 

 

Here in the chancel, we see lights displayed for the season. During Advent, we display the Advent wreath, which holds five candles that we progressively light as we approach Christmas. The Christmas tree has been wrapped with strings of electric lights that shine.

 

Why do we decorate with lights for Advent and Christmas? What value is in the lights? Could there be a deeper significance to these lights? To answer these questions, let’s consider when lights were first used for Advent and Christmas and what their original meaning and purpose were.

 

Last Wednesday, we learned that the use of the Christmas tree began in Germany in the Middle Ages. And the practice of attaching candles to Christmas trees began in the 1500s. You also learned that the first Christmas tree placed in a church in America caused quite a stir. Leave it for a Lutheran to do such a thing! In fact, it is believed that it was Martin Luther himself who first placed an evergreen tree in a church.

 

Over time, the practice of including an evergreen tree caught on and it became more common. In time, candles were attached to the tree branches by pins, then holders, then by lanterns. These lights reminded Christians of the lights that accompanied Christ’s birth, including the Bethlehem star and the angels who lit up the night sky with the glory of God. Candles reminded people that Christ is the Light of the World.

 

And this tradition came by the way of German Lutheran immigrants in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. And again, over time, this practice of decorating evergreen trees with lights was culturally adopted by Americans.

 

Thanks be to God that He inspired Thomas Edison to invent the light bulb in 1880. For since the invention of the light bulb, the risk of fires has significantly decreased. At first lamps were extremely expensive, but by the 1930s, strings of lights have become more affordable, and by the 1950s, they became standard decorations at American homes.

 

Christmas lights are certainly beautiful. But for Christians, they hold a much deeper meaning. In the Bible, darkness is the symbol for sin and light is the symbol for righteousness. So, lights at Advent and Christmas point us to the purpose of Christ’s advent: to remove sin and restore us to righteousness.

 

The Fall into sin brought spiritual darkness to man. People lived in the darkness of evil and deception. But God promised a light to break the darkness of sin. That Light would appear with the advent of the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming Christ this way: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2). Isaiah went on to announce this Light breaking in through the birth of a child, the Son of God: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

 

Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in the advent of Christ into the world. Jesus’ birth was signaled by the light of a special star that guided the Magi (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10); this brilliant astronomical beacon led them to the Christ Child. His birth was also heralded by the luminous glory of the Lord that shone around the shepherds (Luke 2:9).

 

John’s Gospel does not narrate the events of Jesus’ birth, but it does describe the impact of His birth. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, John wrote: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). You see, Jesus came to enlighten everyone with His own righteousness and glory. 

Later, Jesus announced: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

 

By grace through faith in Christ alone, we, who were once caught in the darkness of sin and death, now receive Christ’s light of righteousness and glory.

 

Those candles of the Advent wreath and the lights on the Christmas tree celebrate the first coming of Christ “who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

 

These lights also point us to the final advent of Christ on the Last Day. You see, Jesus’ return will inaugurate a new creation in which the darkness of sin ends and the light of righteousness endures forever. We who are made righteous through faith in Christ will abide in that eternal righteous realm.

 

The Word of God uses the symbolism of light to reveal the brilliant future Christ will inaugurate for us at His final advent saying, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk” (Revelation 21:23-24).

 

Tonight, we still see the darkness of sin in our fallen world and in our own sinful nature. But through the work of the Holy Spirit, we disavow that sin and repent of the darkness in us. Because of the righteousness of Christ given to us by faith in Him, we no longer fear a dark future. Instead, we anticipate His final advent in which Jesus will disperse the darkness forever and bring us to dwell in His glorious light forever.

 

Light decorations are visible everywhere we go this season and for us, they do convey a powerful message: the light of Christ’s righteousness has come to disperse the darkness of sin. That is what Advent is all about – the eternal glory that Jesus won for us at His first advent and that we will fully experience when He comes again. 

 

So, every time you look at Advent and Christmas decorations emanating light, remember their message: Jesus has come, and He will come again to bring you the light of His righteousness and His glory! Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1-10)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from His roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).

 

Today’s Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 11 pictures life rising from death and destruction. 

 

Through the Prophet Isaiah, God promised that He would deliver His people from all their enemies. Yet, as Isaiah proclaims this great news, the Assyrians are about to inflict God’s judgment upon God’s people for their wickedness. And over the centuries, God’s people would be cut down and reduced to virtually nothing. And over time, the Assyrian Empire would be cut down and reduced to nothing. Every enemy of God’s people, as well as God’s people themselves, would become stumps of their former greatness.

 

But in today’s reading, Isaiah tells of a difference, a great difference. You see, all the other stumps would remain dead and lifeless, but not this stump of Jesse. He says a shoot would come from the stump of Jesse. 

 

Yes, the house of David would be reduced to its humble beginnings in Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesse and of his son David, but from these humble beginnings would come a new King, who is not only of the lineage of David, but a new and greater David.

 

It was unexpected that a boy who tended his father’s sheep would become a great king. It was also from an unexpected source that the new and greater King would come.

 

Just as Immanuel would come from a virgin, so He also would come from the dead stump of Jesse. Here, we see a humble entrance of the Christ into the world – as a child, a shoot. He would come by the miracle of a virgin birth and would come from the dead stump of the royal line of David. The small green branch would shoot out and grow because God had given His promise. It would be so. The appearance of this shoot is a miracle of God’s grace and power.

How beautiful Isaiah pictures the coming Messiah. When the shoot becomes a branch at the appointed time, He was born in Bethlehem, the hometown of both Jesse and David. And although Mary and Joseph were both descendants of David, Jesus would not have His first bed in a palace but in a manger. 

 

At the time of Christ’s birth, Romans occupied Palestine. There was no descendant of David ruling Judah. Mary was just a humble woman. Joseph a carpenter. Nazareth, where Mary and Joseph lived was a forgotten town in Judea. What good could come from Nazareth, let alone Bethlehem? The royal line of David was a dead stump without power, influence or wealth.

 

Yet, from this seemingly insignificant beginning, great and wonderful blessings would come. This new and greater King would succeed where all other kings and leaders have failed. Really, all earthly rulers would ultimately fail. But where all other earthly rulers have failed, this Branch will succeed. You see, where all other earthly rulers have fallen, this Branch will not fail because He will be what God desires, and He will fully do what God desires.

 

Of this Branch, the Spirit of the Lord rests. Isaiah writes: “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

 

Jesus, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, and the son of David, went forth “full of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and manifested Himself before all Israel. At His Baptism, the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove and came to rest on Him.

 

Upon Jesus rests God’s own Spirit and this Spirit gives Him everything He needs to rule.

 

And what does this Spirit give Jesus? Isaiah here identifies three pairs of gifts. The first pair is wisdom and understanding. You see, during His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated a wisdom which had been hidden from the beginning of the world and He spoke and gave insight into heavenly things which only He knows. With His wisdom, Jesus has the ability to look into the very essence of things. He has the understanding to distinguish and perceive differences. With wisdom and understanding, He gives insight into all things that His people will need to know and understand, including the depths of God’s nature and His grace.

 

Upon Jesus also rests the Spirit of counsel and might. These two gifts also echo the names given to the promised Messiah back in Isaiah chapter 9, where he wrote that the Christ Child’s name shall be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). This means that He knows what His people need and gives them what they need. He gives His people His Word and in His Word, He shares with His people the plan for our redemption. By His suffering and death, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, loosed the bonds which held people captive and overcame our enemies: sin, death, and the devil.

 

Upon Jesus also rests the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will, even unto death, to lead us – His lost children – back to God. Now, through the Holy Spirit, the Lord plants the knowledge of God, true love and true fear of God, back into the hearts of men.

 

Now with His work finished, Jesus, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the new and greater David, now sits on the throne of His Father. “And His delight shall be in fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins” (Isaiah 11:3-5).

 

With the Spirit of the Lord resting upon Him, when Jesus makes decisions, He penetrates beyond what He can see and hear. And as careful as any human judge or ruler may be, appearances and rhetoric can still distort the truth and frustrate justice. But not for the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the new and greater David. For Jesus, He exercises absolute justice based on absolute knowledge.

 

Jesus bears the scepter of peace. Again, He doesn’t judge by what His eyes see or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but He judges with righteousness, deciding with equity the interests of the meek. To troubled sinners, Jesus gives justice. He makes us poor, miserable sinners right with God by covering our sin with His robe of righteousness and preserving us blameless to God the Father.

 

But at the very same time, those who reject the shoot from the stump of Jesse, those who reject His peace and His grace, those people are put to shame. Isaiah says: “He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).

 

Jesus has come as the Prince of Peace, but many reject His peace. Not everyone will believe. Not everyone will come to faith in Christ Jesus. As Simeon said to Mary, “This Child has been appointed for the fall … of many” (Luke 2:34). But, through the working of the Holy Spirit, many more will come and kneel before the crucified and risen Christ.

 

And for everyone who clings to Christ as their King, they will see the image of creation restored. Animals that were once prey – the lamb, young goat and fattened calf – will dwell safely together with their former predators – the wolf, leopard and lion – without fear. In fact, as believers in Christ, we already enjoy the benefits of His wise rule, having received His Spirit with wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and knowledge and fear of the Lord. 

 

You see, for those who are in the kingdom of God, there is no malice. For everyone who acknowledge Jesus as Lord also renounce the works of the devil. And although we are still sinners, in Christ, there remains an ever-flowing fountain of mercy. Day in and day out, we receive from Jesus His grace, as well as peace and strength in loving God and serving our neighbor.

 

Isaiah pictures paradise as the wolf dwells with the lamb, but this paradise isn’t just the future; this is the present reality. This is what the Church of Christ looks like now. This is the peace that the one true Christian Church has at this very moment.

 

As fellow redeemed in Christ, we are united with the One who alone is holy by nature but who shares His holiness with us. God has granted us new hearts that, while sin still clings to us, we truly want to please God and serve our neighbor. This is completely unnatural from the perspective of our old sinful and prideful selves. We have been transformed by Christ’s peace through His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension! We have been transformed by the Holy Spirit’s intervening in your life to be the kind of person you would never be without Him.

 

Yes, we are still not perfect, the Church does have her spots and wrinkles, but we are made clean through the blood of the Lamb, which makes us new. With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we grow in wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear of the Lord, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, who is Peace and brings peace. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Evergreens" (John 11:17-27) - Advent Midweek 1

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26a).

 

Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas and for the coming of the Lord. During this Advent season, we will reflect upon common decorations that we see all around us this time of year. Did you know that many decorations can help us prepare for the coming of Christ? For this first midweek in Advent, we will focus on how evergreen decorations help us prepare for the coming of Christ.

 

Look around this time of year, and you will see greenery everywhere – garland, wreaths, trees, and sprays. We decorate with different kinds of conifer trees – pine, spruce, fir – as well as broadleaf evergreens like holly and ivy. We love to celebrate these evergreen decorations by singing, “O Tannenbaum” (“O Christmas Tree”) and “The Holly and the Ivy.” 

 

The Christmas tree has become the universal symbol of the Christmas season – and oddly enough, the Advent season – as these evergreen trees are displayed everywhere throughout the world: in our homes, offices, department stores, and public spaces. Even here at Prince of Peace, we have our chancel decorated with an evergreen tree. This indicates that these decorations have a churchly significance as they point us to spiritual truths. 

 

But at one time, a Christmas tree in a church caused scandal. Can you believe that? Well, back on the Christmas Eve in 1851 at Zion Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio, Pastor Heinrich Schwan placed an evergreen tree in the chancel, attached candles to it, and placed a silver star on top. This doesn’t sound too scandalous. But it was!

 

You see, this candlelit tree in a church was so revolutionary that it was reported in the city’s newspapers. One local paper reported this action as nonsensical, asinine and moronic. Some in Cleveland accused Pastor Schwan as engaging in heathenish and idolatrous practices by erecting an evergreen tree in the chancel. People were saying that the tree was a pagan symbol. This was quite a scandal.

But Pastor Schawn did his homework before he placed the evergreen tree in the Zion Lutheran chancel. He knew of the evergreen tree’s significance in Germany and was convinced that they were a godly custom that celebrated the Savior’s birth. So, he wrote letters to the newspapers making his case for the Christmas tree.

 

By that next Christmas in 1852, Pastor Schwan again erected a Christmas tree in his church’s chancel. And that year, many of his parishioners also decorated trees in their homes. Within a decade, Christmas trees appeared in churches and homes across America.

 

Just leave it to the Lutherans, and a LCMS Lutheran at that. Pastor Schwan later served the LCMS as our third president of synod.

 

So, what did Pastor Schwan do to make his case for the Christmas tree?

 

To help us answer this question, let’s go back to the very origins of the use of evergreen decorations during Advent and Christmas. 

 

The use of Christmas trees first appeared in northern Europe around AD 1000. Usually, a small fir tree was cut from the forest and brought into the house. By AD 1400, Christmas trees were commonly found in German homes. They were decorated with apples, nuts, pretzels, wafers, and gingerbread.

 

Around this time, garland made of green holly and ivy appeared in England during Advent and Christmas. Christians would decorate their churches, houses and streets with evergreen branches. 

 

So, why evergreens? Well, green is a symbol of life because living plants are green. In cold climates, many plants lose their green in the winter and appear to be lifeless. But evergreen plants retain their leaves in the winter. Evergreens have become a symbol of life when other plants appear dead.

 

Moreover, evergreens are a symbol of eternal life. This is because they are ever green. They prevail over death, even in the dead of winter. 

 

In the Bible, the tree of life offered eternal life to all who ate its fruit. Accordingly, Christians since the Middle Ages have decorated their homes and churches during Advent and Christmas to remind them of the gift of eternal life that Jesus’ advent offers.

Evergreens point us to Christ’s first advent. During Christ’s first advent, Jesus restored eternal life that had been lost when our first parents fell into sin. In Paradise, Adam and Eve had access to the very tree of life, but they forfeited that eternal life as they fell into sin. Thorns infested the ground as a symbol of the curse and of death (Genesis 3:17-19).

 

Jesus, the second Adam, came to restore life that was lost in man’s fall. In His first advent, the very Second Person of the Trinity took upon Himself our human flesh to give His life so that we sinners might receive eternal life. Jesus says to us: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus brought life to us through a thorny crown and a sacrificial death on the cross, exchanging His life for the death that we deserved because of our sins of thought, word and deed against God and our neighbor. 

 

Also, the evergreen holly branch is associated with Christ’s death because its thorny leaves remind us of the crown of thorns He wore on the cross. Its red berries remind us of the drops of blood that fell from His head as He hung on the cross.

 

Jesus’ death destroyed death, and His resurrection restored life. Jesus proclaims to us: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

 

Through Christ’s first advent, we have been given the gift of eternal life. And did you realize that God compares Himself to an evergreen tree? In Hosea 14:8, He does just that: “I am like an evergreen cypress; from Me comes your fruit.” The triune God is certainly our never-failing source of life and fruitfulness. 

 

But we are in the Advent season. Is this just all it points to? Does the evergreen just point us back to Christ’s first advent? No. The evergreen also points us to Christ’s final advent on the Last Day. You see, Jesus’ return will inaugurate a new creation in which sin and death no longer exist. Evergreens are associated with the new creation, which brings the reversal of sin’s curse and the blessings of eternal life.

 

In Revelation 22, evergreens are again associated with the tree of life. It is described this way: “On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed” (Revelation 22:2-3). The tree of life is evergreen as it bestows the fruit of everlasting life. And this life is ours because of Christ.

Evergreens certainly convey a powerful message: eternal life. That is what Advent and Christmas is all about: the eternal life that Jesus won for us at His first advent, which we will experience fully at His last advent. So, every time you see evergreen decorations – at church, at home, at the office, or while shopping – remember their message: Jesus has come and will come again to give you everlasting life!

 

Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"The Royal Inauguration" (Matthew 21:1-11)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“And when [Jesus] entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee” (Matthew 21:10-11).

 

Today, we begin a new Church Year, and the purpose of every Church Year is to put Jesus before our eyes.

 

To the world, most of their minds – maybe even yours – is on Christmas. Most of the world is thinking about Christmas decorating and shopping for loved ones. Radio stations began playing pop Christmas songs on November 1. And for so many of us, when you think about Jesus this time of year, we often think of Jesus as the babe in the manger.

 

But here we are on this First Sunday in Advent, and we hear about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. What’s up with that? Again, the purpose as we begin each Church Year is that we do not lose sight on what truly matters: Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen for sinners.

 

It always does seem odd though to begin the Church Year at practically the end. But this is why Jesus came in the first place. He came to bring atonement between God and man.

 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Magi came from the east to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). This question greatly disturbed King Herod. He was troubled. This troubled Herod because he was obviously nearing the end of his time and was not sure who would succeed him. And there was no doubt that Herod’s violent and bloody reign had demonstrated how determined he was to maintain his grip on power – even though his power was severely limited being under Roman rule.

 

So when Herod’s fear was aroused, all of Jerusalem was disturbed right along with him.

 

Now, some thirty-plus years have passed between that first Christmas Day and Palm Sunday, and during that interval St. Matthew does not record a single time Jesus was called a king. He was called many other titles. Jesus was called “Son of David,” and that messianic title certainly does come with royal overtones, but it was not until that Palm Sunday that Jesus was proclaimed to be a king. According to St. Luke, the crowds roared: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38a). And according to St. John, the crowds cheered: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13). And once again, some thirty-some years after His birth, “the whole city was stirred up” again (Matthew 21:10).

 

They ask, “Who is this Jesus?” “Where has this Jesus come from?”

 

Back when Jesus was 12 years old, He famously went up to Jerusalem with His mother Mary and His guardian Joseph to celebrate the Feast of the Passover (Luke 2:41-52). When the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. After searching for Him, they returned to Jerusalem and after three days, they found Him in the temple. 

 

Now, traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover was something pious Jews did every year. So, we can assume that Jesus made many trips to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. But this time would be different. Very different. For this occasion, Jesus was very much aware that He was going up to Jerusalem to die. And He taught this fact to His very own apostles that He would be handed over to the chief priests and later condemned to death, but on that third day would rise again.

 

As Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the last time, He wanted the attention of all the people of Jerusalem to be focused solely on Him. This is why He made some rather peculiar preparations before entering the city.

 

“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once” (Matthew 21:1-3).

 

This would be a strange way for Jesus to be acknowledged as the King of Israel. Through the Prophet Zechariah, God calls the coming King “humble” (Zechariah 9:9). 

Normally, powerful people are not humble. Normally, powerful people are far from being called “humble.” Normally, powerful people are aware of how important they are, and they expect others to be duly impressed by and deferential to them. They can be harsh and abrasive, because they havepower. Normally, to be humble or gentle is seen as a sign of powerlessness. Not so with Jesus.

 

Jesus enters Jerusalem upon an ordinary lowly beast of burden rather than a magnificent white stallion, as other kings would have done. Jesus did not wear a kingly robe or royal crown. There was no scepter in His hand. His attendants were mostly Galilean fishermen. His procession looked far from a royal procession, yet there was an obvious and undeniable majesty about Him. This Jesus was powerful, but not in the way of the world (1 Corinthians 1:25).

 

This humility of Jesus is the theme from the manger all the way to the cross. It is a weakness according to the world, but it is powerful because God works salvation in it. Salvation is not accomplished by external force or by gaining earthly power. Jesus’ humility is not a sign of powerlessness, but of a refusal to rule by force or coercion, and of His willingness to die for us.

 

Again, Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem didn’t look like a royal procession, but the multitudes were moved to shout: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).

 

According to earthly standards, Jesus was far from being a king. He rode into town on a donkey. That’s a far cry from any royal steed. But Jesus is the King. 

 

Because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, His mission has often been misunderstood. Herod feared Jesus as competition. Jesus was handed over to Pilate because He was declared a challenge to Caesar. But Jesus has not come to overthrow earthly rulers, nor to establish any earthly kingdom.

 

Jesus rules only by Word and Spirit, not by any external force. Jesus rules by calling and enlightening His disciples. He gives faith and a change of heart, so that we cling to Him as King. We didn’t choose Him as King, He chose us and made us His people.

 

Jesus is the mighty King. He is more powerful than all the great kings of all times. He is more powerful than all the world leaders of our own day.

 

Only He, by His cross, has the power to save from sin. Only He has the power to grant eternal life. Only He has the power to make enemies of God into children of God. Only He has the power to transform us so that we live godly lives.

 

Certainly, the manner by which Jesus entered Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday showed that He had no intentions of setting Himself up as an earthly king. The throne He would ascend would not be a fancy seat, but His throne to which He would ascend would be Him nailed to a crude wooden cross. The crown He would wear would not be adorned with jewels but would be a crown of thorns piercing His forehead.

 

Yet, Jesus would establish His Kingdom, but not by the traditional way by shedding the blood of his enemies, but by shedding His own holy precious blood. Through His humility, through His innocent suffering and death, Jesus would establish a Kingdom of greater glory and greater majesty than any earthly kingdom before or since. He gave all who trust in Him His Kingdom.

 

Today’s Gospel reading contain some very familiar words that we sing each Sunday: “Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” These familiar words of the Sanctus remind us that the same Jesus who rode up into Jerusalem on a donkey comes to us under the bread and wine of the Sacrament of the Altar. On our own, we would never guess that we are receiving Christ’s very Body and His very Blood in this Sacrament, but Jesus says, “This is My Body. … This is My Blood.” Through the eyes of faith, we see so much more than just simple bread and simple wine, because our ears have heard what Jesus said.

 

We sing the Sanctus as we praise Christ knowing who He is, the promised Savior. We praise Christ, who feeds us with His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sins, praising Him for who He is, our Savior, and for what He richly does, forgives our sins.

 

The crowds on that Palm Sunday may not have seen the significance of their own words, but we on this First Sunday in Advent do. He came to inaugurate His royal kingdom. Jesus has come to be our King. He has come to bring reconciliation between God and man. He is Here today hidden in His Means of Grace. And He will one day truly reveal Himself again on the Last Day! Christ is King. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Thanks Be to God!" (Luke 17:11-19)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us’” (Luke 17:11-13).

 

On this eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving, we can see the gravity of the situation. Leprosy was bad; it was really bad. Leprosy wasn’t something that could be cured by any over-the counter or behind-the-counter drug. Leprosy couldn’t be cured by bedrest. 

 

As leprosy would progress, it attacks the skin, peripheral nerves and the mucus membrane. Pain would turn to numbness. The skin would lose its original color and become thick, glossy and scaly. Sores and ulcers would develop. The face could swell to look more like a lion than a man. The voice would become hoarse and grating. If you had the signs of leprosy, and were declared “unclean” by the priests, you could no longer live in your community, you were basically outcasts from polite society, left homeless without the support of family or friends. A leper was an outcast.

 

If there was anything positive, contrary to popular belief, leprosy was not a flesh-eating disease. However, due to the loss of feeling – especially in the hands and feet – people with leprosy could wear away their extremities and faces unknowingly. This horrible disfigurement caused by leprosy made this disease greatly feared.

 

It was so feared that it was the traditional Jewish belief that leprosy was God’s judgment for sin. A leper was considered cursed by God.

 

So, here, on this eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving, we learn of a lonely group of outcasts, ten men who would normally not be together, except for leprosy, standing at a distance, desperate to be once again included in polite society. These men lifted up their voices, or what was left of their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13).

 

They had heard the news about Jesus. Could it all be true? Could Jesus heal them? They saw Jesus as their last chance for deliverance. Mustering all they had left, these ten men begged Jesus to heal them.

 

Across a distance, Jesus heard their cry for mercy. He spoke to them saying, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14).

 

Clearly, Jesus did not immediately heal these men, but He commanded them to show themselves to the priests. But why didn’t Jesus heal them all instantly? He had done that in the past and He would do that in the future. But why not in this instance? 

 

It is likely that Jesus was testing the faith of these ten leprous men in His ability to heal them in His time. And Jesus’ command would be an affirmation of the validity of the Law of God. For, by obeying, these men were demonstrating faith and fulfilling their obligation as the Law required. The priests who would receive these men would function as the local health inspectors, and this was an elaborate process, lasting for eight days and involving various examinations, sacrifices and rituals, to determine whether a person was free from leprosy (Leviticus 14:1-32).

 

What’s ironic about this requirement is that these very priests who rejected Jesus would have to validate the undeniable fact that the lepers had been healed. They would be forced to confirm His supernatural power and thus become reluctant witnesses to His deity.

 

Up to this point, these ten leprous men are acting in unison. They all pled for Jesus to heal them; they had all obeyed His command and started their way to the priests. As they walked, they began noticing changes, positive changes. They were healed.

 

I’m sure they were all astonished. They were amazed! I’m sure they were full of joy! I’m sure they were thinking about how their life was about to change. They would all soon be living normal lives! But for some reason one of the healed men turns back, while the others march on to the priests.

 

There is something to note here. The Jews were taught that God was primarily a Redeemer and a Savior. These lepers came to Jesus for the hope of redemption. Could Jesus also be the Savior? Could Jesus be God?

 

Now, so often, we want to jump to the obvious with today’s Gospel lesson, which is to be thankful. And that is why this text is always the Gospel text for Thanksgiving. But let us not oversimplify this message. You see, today’s Gospel lesson is not just about the lepers being thankful or not.

 

Remember, Jesus told the lepers to follow God’s commandment to verify their healing. And as they went, all ten were cleansed. All ten were healed. But only nine of them continued on their way.

 

So, were the nine thankful? Clearly, they were! They were glad as they could be that they were healed. They could soon live normal lives again! Unfortunately, they didn’t fully recognize who it was to be thanked.

 

The unlikely Samaritan grasped who needed to be thanked. Of course, going to the priests was proper, but Jesus was the true source of his healing and every good gift. Jesus said to this healed man: “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19). It was his faith in Jesus that had made him well. It was his faith in Jesus, given to him and to us by the Holy Spirit, that made us well.

 

On this eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for. These healed men were desperate for healing. They could do nothing to save themselves.

 

In our desperation for salvation, Jesus saved us too. We were once lost and condemned because of our sins, but Jesus purchased and won us from all sins, from eternal death, and from the power of the devil. Jesus saved us not by paying for our reconciliation through silver or gold, but instead through His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, so that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom.

 

On this Thanksgiving and every Lord’s Day, by faith, Jesus richly forgives our sins. 

 

We have so much to be thankful for. Thanks be to God that He is merciful, patient and loving toward us. Thanks be to God that Jesus willingly went to that cursed tree to die and rise for us, so that sin, death, and Satan would have no power over us. Thanks be to God that He continues to prepare our hearts and minds through Word and Sacrament ministry.

 

We have so many reasons to give our thanks to Christ, our Lord. Chief among them is His forgiveness that He won for you through His atoning death upon the cross. So, may we always give God thanks by coming into His presence each Lord’s Day as He continually serves us, His Church, with forgiveness, life, and salvation through His Word and Sacrament! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +